Jodie Foster, the two-time Oscar-winning actress and filmmaker, has spent over five decades in the spotlight, earning accolades for her roles in films like The Silence of the Lambs and her recent performance in True Detective: Night Country. Yet, despite her professional success, Foster has consistently emphasized that her most important role is that of a mother to her two sons, Charles “Charlie” Bernard Foster, 26, and Christopher “Kit” Bernard Foster, 23. In a candid moment, Foster admitted, “I never stop worrying about my sons Charles and Kit,” a sentiment that resonates with many parents but carries a unique weight given her high-profile life and the challenges of raising children out of the Hollywood spotlight. As of June 2025, with Charlie pursuing an acting career and Kit working as a research associate in chemistry, Foster’s concerns reflect her deep love for her sons and her ongoing journey to balance her protective instincts with their growing independence.

A Mother’s Lifelong Journey

Foster first became a mother on July 20, 1998, when she gave birth to Charlie, followed by Kit on September 29, 2001. She shares her sons with her former partner, Cydney Bernard, a film producer she met on the set of Sommersby in 1993. The couple was together for nearly 15 years before parting ways in 2008, but they have maintained a respectful co-parenting relationship, ensuring stability for their children. Foster, who married photographer and filmmaker Alexandra Hedison in 2014, has often spoken about the challenges of parenting, particularly the emotional weight of letting go as her sons grow into adulthood. In a 2018 interview with Us Weekly, she revealed, “Letting go has been challenging. And that’s what I’m doing now. It’s the worrying. That’s what you will find. Just because they’re asleep doesn’t mean you stop worrying about them. There’s a switch that gets turned on that never gets turned off.”

This “switch” that Foster describes is a universal parental experience, but for her, it is amplified by her own history in the entertainment industry. Having started her career at age three in a Coppertone commercial, Foster was thrust into the public eye early, experiencing both the highs of fame—such as her Oscar nomination for Taxi Driver at 14—and the lows, including the traumatic 1981 incident when John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan to impress her. These experiences shaped her determination to provide her sons with a “normal” life, away from the Hollywood spotlight. “I have a psychological need to create a really safe, normal life for them,” she told Psychologies Magazine in 2016, reflecting on her own childhood, which lacked the routine and stability she craved.

Shielding Her Sons from Fame

Foster went to great lengths to shield Charlie and Kit from her celebrity status when they were young. In a 2018 interview with Net-a-Porter, she shared a humorous anecdote about Charlie, who, at age four, thought she was a construction worker after visiting a film set. “I brought him to set one day and I bought him a little plastic tool belt,” she recalled. “And for a really long time, he thought I was a construction worker.” This deliberate choice to downplay her career underscores her desire for her sons to see her first as their mom, not a Hollywood star. “I didn’t want them to know about my celebrity at all,” she explained, emphasizing her commitment to giving them a grounded upbringing.

This protective instinct extended to her sons’ exposure to her films. Foster has been selective about which movies she shares with them, noting that they have little interest in watching her work. “They have no interest in watching my movies with me,” she told People in 2024, though she added that they were likely to watch True Detective: Night Country because of their interest in the series. However, certain films, like Nell, remain off-limits due to her fear of being teased by her sons, who have occasionally ribbed her about her performances despite not having seen them. This dynamic reveals a playful side to their relationship, but also Foster’s underlying concern about how her fame might affect their perception of her.

The Challenges of Letting Go

As Charlie and Kit have grown into their 20s, Foster’s worries have evolved but not diminished. In a 2024 interview with People after winning her first Emmy for True Detective: Night Country, she opened up about her sons’ career insecurities. “They’re at that age where they’re starting their careers and they’re pretty insecure about what’s gonna happen,” she said. Charlie, now 26, has pursued acting, following in his mother’s footsteps. He attended Yale University, where he participated in theater productions like Rocky Horror Picture Show, and has taken on roles such as an understudy in Camp Siegfried in 2022. Kit, 23, has taken a different path, graduating from Princeton University with a degree in chemistry and now working as a research associate, a career Foster proudly described as that of her “scientist son” during her 2025 Golden Globes acceptance speech.

Foster’s pride in her sons’ achievements is evident, but so is her concern for their future. “Every time they get a joy, like I got an ‘A’ or I got this job or I got an audition, my heart just fills up 14 times,” she told People, reflecting on her own career built on meaningful work. Yet, her admission that she “never stops worrying” suggests that the uncertainties of their fledgling careers weigh heavily on her. This is particularly poignant for Charlie, who is navigating the same industry that brought Foster both success and scrutiny. Her own experiences as a child actor—working in over 50 television shows by her teens and facing the pressures of fame—likely heighten her fears about Charlie’s journey in Hollywood.

A Family Shaped by Women

Foster’s parenting style has been influenced by her own upbringing, raised by her mother, Evelyn “Brandy” Foster, and her mother’s female partner in Los Angeles after her parents’ divorce before she was born. This female-heavy household shaped her perspective on family and gender roles, a dynamic she has replicated in her own home. In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Foster noted that her sons, raised by “two women—three women,” are “super feminist” and more interested in movies and their female friends than traditional masculine pursuits like sports. She recalled a brief period in high school when Charlie struggled to understand what it meant to be a man, a phase she addressed firmly: “I was like, you won’t be talking to me like that.”

This feminist upbringing has fostered a close bond between Foster and her sons, evident in their public appearances together, such as at the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards with Charlie and the 2025 Golden Globes with Kit. These moments, though rare, highlight Foster’s pride in her sons and their support for her career. At the Golden Globes, where she won Best Female Actor in a Limited Series for True Detective: Night Country, Foster gave an emotional shoutout to her sons, saying, “Kit, my scientist son, and Charlie, my actor son who’s starting his career, hopefully you understand the joy, such joy, that comes from doing really hard, meaningful, good work.” Her words reflect not only her love for them but also her hope that they find fulfillment in their paths, even as she continues to worry about their futures.

The Weight of a Public Life

Foster’s concerns for her sons are also shaped by the unique challenges of her public life. Her decision to keep their lives private stems from her own experiences with fame, including the 1981 Hinckley incident, which left her haunted by the dangers of celebrity. She has seldom commented on the event, writing in a 1982 essay for Esquire that she never wanted to be defined by it. This trauma likely reinforced her commitment to protecting her sons’ privacy, including the identity of their biological father, which remains undisclosed. Speculation has pointed to the late Hollywood producer Randy Stone, a close friend of Foster’s, but she has never confirmed this, reportedly planning to reveal the truth to her sons when they turned 21, according to Stone’s mother, Reverend Beverly Bates, in a 2013 Daily Mail interview.

Foster’s privacy extends to her relationship with her wife, Alexandra Hedison, whom she married in 2014. The couple rarely makes public appearances together, though Hedison has been a supportive presence at events like the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and the 2025 Golden Globes, where Foster dedicated her win to “the love of my life, Alex.” This balance of privacy and public life is a delicate one, and Foster’s worries about her sons likely include the potential impact of her fame on their lives, especially for Charlie, who has chosen a career in the entertainment industry.

A Mother’s Love Amidst a Storied Career

As of June 2025, Foster continues to balance her career with her role as a mother. Her recent success in True Detective: Night Country, which earned her a Golden Globe and an Emmy, has reaffirmed her status as a Hollywood titan. Yet, her focus remains on her family. Her admission that she “never stops worrying” about Charlie and Kit is a testament to the depth of her love and the challenges of parenting in the public eye. Whether it’s Charlie’s acting ambitions or Kit’s scientific pursuits, Foster’s concerns reflect a universal parental truth: the desire to see one’s children thrive, tempered by the fear of the unknown.

Foster’s journey as a mother is a reminder that even the most accomplished individuals face the same anxieties as any parent. Her efforts to provide her sons with a normal life, her pride in their achievements, and her ongoing worries paint a picture of a woman who, despite her fame, is first and foremost a dedicated mom. As Charlie and Kit continue to carve their own paths, Foster’s love and concern will undoubtedly remain a constant, a “switch” that, as she so poignantly put it, will never turn off.